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Features / Usability

Features / Usability


I'm struggling with the Usability of TikiWiki

posts: 11

Hi,

I hope this is constructive criticism, but I've just installed TikiWiki and find the Usability just awful. (I'm using 1.9)

I created a 'Blog' and when my users click on Blog | My Blog and are presented with all the messages, they can't see any way of adding a new post.
And there's confusion between creating a 'comment' (which is actually easier) and creating a 'post'. I eventually found a tiny little icon and after holding my mouse over all these icons, I eventually worked out which one to press.

Ultimately I'd like to put a big link that says 'New Post' and that should be the most important and obvious thing to do. Can I customise this and is there any concise, sectionalised documentation for this (though I'm using 1.9). And then I couldn't figure out how to delete the 'Comment'... I still can't. If I click on 'View comments' it takes me to a page which basically says ' Post new comment'... what the? Is that Post a new 'Post' or post a new 'Comment'... or 'Comment' a new 'Post'... This is so confusing I'm going to have to find a different way to create a blog. The icon (The pen on paper) is used for 'Creating' a post at the top of the page and then for 'Editing' a post within the blog post. Is there a way to change this terrible usability?

The other things are for example, the 'FAQ'. I created a FAQ and I can see no way to edit it after I found I made a mistake in a question. There's only a delete (and I'm 'admin'). Why would no one expect that I might not make a mistake when I'm creating a new FAQ? Bizarre.

I've enabled 'Workflow' and wanted to have a look at it. But there's no way to add one or do anything. And there's no pointer to any documentation on how to do it.

When I click on 'Articles' it brings up a blank page. What am I supposed to do here (no, it's not the 8MB limit, I've set that to 32MB already). Do I have to edit some other file to create 'Articles'?

I noticed the calendar. But I can't work out what to do. I need users to be able to easily work out how it works. I created a calendar entry and it makes the date an orange colour but when I click on it, the page refreshes and doesn't seem to do anything. I sat there for 5 minutes and I have no idea what on earth the calendar does, if anything.

I realise some of things need documentation perusal, but the usability should enable to make a start. I don't want users of this to have to read pages of documentation. I just wanted a simple, reasonably obvious what-to-do Wiki. Have I downloaded the right one?


I'm using Firefox is this a problem as well?

posts: 2881 United Kingdom

> Hi,
>
> I hope this is constructive criticism, but I've just installed TikiWiki and find the Usability just awful. (I'm using 1.9)

well lets see what we can do!

> I created a 'Blog' and when my users click on Blog | My Blog and are presented with all the messages, they can't see any way of adding a new post.

Click the New Post icon

> And there's confusion between creating a 'comment' (which is actually easier) and creating a 'post'. I eventually found a tiny little icon and after holding my mouse over all these icons, I eventually worked out which one to press.
>
> Ultimately I'd like to put a big link that says 'New Post' and that should be the most important and obvious thing to do. Can I customise this and is there any concise, sectionalised documentation for this (though I'm using 1.9). And

No concise documentation exists relating to tweaking, but basicially you can change the entire look of TikiWiki by modifying the templates located in templates/ subfolder of your Tiki installation.

then I couldn't figure out how to delete the 'Comment'... I still can't. If I click on 'View comments' it takes me to

Cant you see a red cross in the comment header?

a page which basically says ' Post new comment'... what the? Is that Post a new 'Post' or post a new 'Comment'... or 'Comment' a new 'Post'... This is so confusing I'm going to have to find a different way to create a blog. The icon (The pen on paper) is used for 'Creating' a post at the top of the page and then for 'Editing' a post within the blog post. Is there a way to change this terrible usability?

Tweak your templates! :-)

> The other things are for example, the 'FAQ'. I created a FAQ and I can see no way to edit it after I found I made a mistake in a question. There's only a delete (and I'm 'admin'). Why would no one expect that I might not make a mistake when I'm creating a new FAQ? Bizarre.

On your tiki-list_faqs you can click the spanner/screwdriver icon to edit the faq topic text, to edit the questions, click on the ? in the speach bubble, on this screen you then have your lovely pen and paper icon and the great red cross for deleting.


> I've enabled 'Workflow' and wanted to have a look at it. But there's no way to add one or do anything. And there's no pointer to any documentation on how to do it.
>
> When I click on 'Articles' it brings up a blank page. What am I supposed to do here (no, it's not the 8MB limit, I've set that to 32MB already). Do I have to edit some other file to create 'Articles'?

Sounds like you havent found out that clicking on those icons next to the menu labels expands the menu and gives you yet more options!

> I noticed the calendar. But I can't work out what to do. I need users to be able to easily work out how it works. I created a calendar entry and it makes the date an orange colour but when I click on it, the page refreshes and doesn't seem to do anything. I sat there for 5 minutes and I have no idea what on earth the calendar does, if anything.

Depends on which calendar TikiWiki has about 3 different ones!

>
> I realise some of things need documentation perusal, but the usability should enable to make a start. I don't want users of this to have to read pages of documentation. I just wanted a simple, reasonably obvious what-to-do Wiki. Have I downloaded the right one?
>

Only you can answer that, if you dont like the way TIki is working, try something else. You'll find http://www.opensourcecms.com very useful.

>
> I'm using Firefox is this a problem as well?

Nope I use FireFox all the time.

Damian Parker
One of the TikiWiki Project Admins

posts: 11


>
> Sounds like you havent found out that clicking on those icons next to the menu labels expands the menu and gives you yet more options!

Ah a revelation! ;-) No they are 'folder' icons in the skin I'm using... I didn't know that they were clickable at all.

Thanks for your help. I think I'm getting there. I'll stick with it.


posts: 3665 United States

Try switching to a different template. However, for best results, you'll probably want to create your own. Like you, I found TIKI's interface (although it contains a dizzying array of functionality) to be dizzying.

Just a couple of the inconsitencies I've tweaked on my site:

  • Why are some button bars at the top of the page; others at the bottom of the page?
  • Why do some buttons use Text while others use Icons?
  • and so on...


My advise: create your own templates.

-Rick


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